Bristol Research Awarded £5.2 Million To Continue Health Study Across Three Generations

Jean Golding, Emeritus Professor of Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology started the study 'Children of the 90s' in the early 1990s. Now this study by the University of Bristol has received £5.2 million in funding to continue the research.

University of Bristol's health study titled - Children of the 90s studies the lives of scores of families in the South West. The researchers have been awarded £5.2 million to continue with the study to improve people's health.

Jean Golding, Emeritus Professor of Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology started this study in the early 1990s. The researchers hired pregnant women and tracked the health and development of their babies from birth to adulthood. The latest funding will help the university to continue with the study. This significant study has until now contributed to over 3,000 research papers. The study continues all aspects of health and well-being of the families from body weight, eczema, pregnancy, mental health and child development to autism.

Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, said, “As one of the largest, longest-running population studies in the world, Children of the 90s is unique for the depth of its health data. A treasure trove of information, it continues to inform what we know, shaping public health guidelines and improving maternal and child health. Thanks to renewed support, researchers can continue to collect data from Children of the 90s participants to improve the health and wellbeing of current and future generations.”

Professor Nic Timpson, Principal Investigator of Children of the 90s at the University of Bristol, added, “This is great news for science and a huge credit to the families from Bristol and beyond who have contributed so much. Longitudinal studies across three generations which have data from pregnancy onwards are rare and Children of the 90s is an outstanding example of participant-led, life course research. Looking forward, we will continue studying the factors that shape our health across diverse areas such as genetics, fertility, obesity, child development and the effect of climate on health and wellbeing.”

Children Of The 90s Study: More Details

From the participants, around half of the children are still in touch with researchers and their next generation including 2,000 children of the Children have also enrolled in the study.

Michele Pilgrim, the first mother to sign up for Children of the 90s in 1991, explained, “As the mother of a participant of Children of the 90s, I have felt it a privilege to take part in such an important study, one that will without doubt help improve the health of children in the next generation and beyond. I have enjoyed taking part in various studies myself as my own health has always been important to me and I will be happy to continue to participate for as long as necessary.”

Professor Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council (MRC), added, “Children of the 90s is one of the world’s leading birth cohort studies which we have supported since the very first mothers and babies were recruited over 30 years ago. We eagerly continue our support as the cohort studies the next generation, and anticipate many more invaluable insights into how environmental and genetic factors affect a person’s health and development.”

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